Voice of the People: Jorge (Warsaw, IN)

The most telling story came to us in a Mexican store down the street. I spoke with one of the counter people, who wished not to be identified. She told us that she did have insurance (through her husband) and that she was happy with the system and that she would not change anything. Then, next to the register, I noticed a posted sign with a picture of a young boy in a hospital bed pleading for $100,000 to help with a kidney transplant.

Doesn’t that tell it all?

Voice of the People: Uprendra in Warsaw, IN

Being self-employed, and that business was not so good this year, Uprendra cannot afford health coverage. He is not insured, nor is any of the staff. And, he has diabetes and gets his insulin, when he can, as free drug samples from his brother, who is a retired doctor. I was humbled by his generosity, the complimentary room, and even more, the $20 donation, his wife (and hotel co-operator) Sheila, gave me when I checked out the following morning.

Voice of the People: Harold near Warsaw, IN

Gruff but friendly, and with a face that oozed sincerity, Harold answered, “The insurance—80/20, but my wife is totally disabled so she’s on the Medicaid … and I got a $5,000 deductible! Every year, it just tears me up. We get good care over there at Lutheran in Ft. Wayne but it’s outrageous. When the doctor gives a regular prescription—not the generic stuff, and the pharmacist automatically gives you the generic, makes you sick and then you have to go back to the doctor to get the right stuff to send to the pharmacist, that don’t make no sense.” I asked Harold if he had any choice of coverage or if this was the only insurance offered.

“There’s no choice,” he told me.

Indeed …

Voice of the People: Krystal in Warsaw, IN

Meeting Krystal in front of the Courthouse on Center Street, I explained my walk, its purpose. Krystal asked how many pairs of shoes I have and so I showed her the extra pair strapped in a bag to my backpack and told her of the several more in the luggage at the hotel. And we that, we began talking about healthcare. “Insurance rates are sky high,” she told me, lamented further that, “like I was talking with my doctor, you almost have to call the insurance companies to get the approval for what drugs you can prescribe—insurance companies are driving the show … they give the discounts or I think they’re in the cahoots with some of the drug companies. They say ‘Oh, we’re having a special on Lipitor' and so they push Lipitor.” We talked about the pharmaceutical companies and that drug costs just seemed to be too high.

Brian in Etna Green, Indiana

Brian in Etna Green, Indiana
Originally uploaded by walk4healthcare

“I believe government should not be in healthcare,” Brian told me, though he added that he’d like to see some regulatory changes to actually increase competition, ensure personal responsibility and decrease prices. “The system is sure not working,” he told me.

At the Mexican store in Warsaw, Indiana

At the Mexican store in Warsaw, Indiana
Originally uploaded by walk4healthcare

The most telling story came to us in a Mexican store down the street. I spoke with one of the counter people, who wished not to be identified. She told us that she did have insurance (through her husband) and that she was happy with the system and that she would not change anything. Then, next to the register, I noticed a posted sign with a picture of a young boy in a hospital bed pleading for $100,000 to help with a kidney transplant.

Doesn’t that tell it all?

Brittany & Amanda at the Long John Silver's restaurant in Warsaw, Indiana

Brittany & Amanda at the Long John Silver's restaurant in Warsaw, Indiana
Originally uploaded by walk4healthcare

Brittany, on the left, told me she has no insurance. She said, “I think everybody should have insurance. You never know what will happen. I've been sick and had to pay cash and it's not cheery.” Amanda also has no insurance and now has “tons of medical bills.” She told me she is slowly— “very slowly,” she put it—paying for them.